A chance at change...

"So here we are..", says Aron as we reach the Old Library, "Doc Whooves said the rendezvous point is here Light...I don't trust him though....".

"Come on Aron, he says the prototype is pretty much complete, he just needs the last piece of the blueprints....", I reply with belief. Hope remains silent, obviously afraid, but remains quiet about it.

"Come on Hope, we'll make it, we've always have, don't think like that... your cutie mark stands for faith... have some....", I say holding my spear at my side. Hope looks over and nods shyly, blushing a light tint of pink.

Its not hard for me and Aron to know that she likes me. I don't mind her efforts, the only problem is she just doesn't understand that I don't accept her advances. I have someone set on my mind, a certain pony from the past. Yeah, even though she technically doesn't exist by now, I don't care, that's my second reason why I plan on finishing the time machine if it's not that obvious already.

I discovered her on some old news headlines and famous postings in the Library Archives from YEARS ago... she performed the infamous Sonic Rainboom apparently... she's been stuck on my mind for some time now.... I hope I get to meet her... sooner... or later...

"Wow, this place is FILLED with ancient artifacts...", I spoke as I walked in with Aron behind me, Hope trailing behind. Aron's been my closest friend since BEFORE the disaster, He's gotten his mark in categorizing.

Yeah yeah he worked in a library, so what, he's still always been my best and closest friend I've ever had. Hope, her story is different, apparently Aron found her on her own, he's told me he's had something for her, yet she's had something for me... strange. "You got 20 minutes before I'm getting back to Sanctuary!", said the driver of the vehicle that transported us here.

"Yeah I got it!", I yell back, hearing him, awakening from my little daydream.

Sanctuary is our home, one of the last survivor towns that existed in this time. I hear something, or somepony in the next room. "Hold on guys...", I whisper to Aron and Hope as I pull out my spear...

I listen carefully as I hear a voice of somepony mumbling to himself. "Eeergh, where are these kids, I need that last component, the last piece, the final piece de resistance, I can't finish my masterpiece without it!!!" Heh, of course.

I open the door, revealing an old withered pony with what seems to be a large white beard around his face, "Ah, Doctor Whooves, a pleasure to meet you sir." I salute as I acknowledge Aron and Hope in, to which Aron walks in with the last blueprint as Hope follows subtly and quietly behind.

"Ah FINALLY! You... Little ones took FOREVER, Do YoU kNoW hOw LoNg It ToOk FoR yOu KiDs!?!", he looks away grasping his head, "I-I'm sorry... p-please forgive me, and place the blueprints on the counter over there...", he says as he points to a small table on the other side, still not looking back at us.

I nod and walks over to the counter, Poor Doc... He was one of the few that helped create the serum that caused all this mess... after all this shit went down, Doc went into hiding and he lost his marbles from there due to suffering from a severe case of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

Yeah I know, he's one of the original scientists that created this serum, but come on, he's an old pony that went into hiding due to fear while the others rose into power, but how could I hate this guy...

I take the papers and place them on the counter and look around while Hope and Aron take a look at the schematics. I trot slowly away, looking around dazed, I take a quick glance and see an article on the Sonic Rainboom. I look over and read the Headlines to myself as I slowly read from the top to the bottom, "The Sonic Rainboom, A legendary feat that filled the skies with its beautiful color, done by the amazing..."

"Heh, Rainbow Dash, I see you have a little interest in her old chap", says Doc as he looks over at the article, I can't help but blush a little due to seeing that Doc found out so quickly. He laughs and returns to the article.

"Eeyep, see I was around to hear about that, sure I wasn't at the show itself, but it's sound waves were astonishing and beautiful to watch from a big distance... Anyways, let's finish out this machine."

I nod and take a quick glance at the photo of Rainbow Dash doing the Sonic Rainboom, then return to the group. "Let's see, this little doohickey, goes into this little piece, and this goes here, and that goes there...", I smile as I watch Doc talk and mumble to himself, decoding the ancient texts as he finishes off the machine.

I take a look over at Aron and see him laying his hoof on Hope's and Hope blushing brightly, heh, finally, it seemed it took forever for Aron. However, I should've chosen the right word, because forever... Never truly lasts forever....

After about five maybe fifteen minutes of Doc's constant mumbling and tinkering, he finally flips the switch, activating the machine, the glow was intense, but it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. "EUREKA!", Doc yells in joy as he pulls back up his goggles. I smile and stare at the machine, a small pod opens up, the size of a small pony to fit in.

"It's got room for only one pony, unfortunately...", he said as he looks down and his ears flip down, "with only so much power and so much stress on this machine's parts, it wouldn't last after one pony..."

I look over at Aron and Hope, they only smile at me, I perk my eyebrow at them, "Uhm, Hope? Aron? Something you wanna tell me?"

They simply walk over to me and simply smile, Aron's the first to break the silence, "Light, pal... I've already found my joys of life here, you go, change the future for a world where it's better for you, and for me and Hope. Hope blushes a little more and nuzzles Aron, he simply smiles at her then back at me, "Change the future for the good of the world, and for the good of us.."

I stand there with my mouth agape, "No Aron, I-I can't leave, not without any of you guys... its always either all of us or none of us..." Hope shakes her head and keeps her smile, "Not this time Light, it's your time to make the mark on history, change the world."

At the very moment, an audible scream from outside is heard, Doc runs over to the door and bolts the door shut, he looks back at us, worried and panicking, "W-We're locked in, that was the only entry, the Changelings must've heard the machine's activation..." Aron nods and goes to the nearby table, pushing it over, sooner enough Hope follows suit and pushes it over as well. Aron looks back at me, smiling a little.

"D-don't worry about us, just remember, if you change time... all this never happened..." I shake my head angrily.

"N-no, I'll never know any of you, Aron, we'll never meet, and without you, Hope won't..." Aron shakes his head.

"Don't be silly Light, I've been friends with you since we've been Colts, don't worry about it, we'll see each other again, count on it".

He smiles after finishing the table and Hope comes over, hugging me gently."Just promise you'll never forget us, okay?"

I nod and hug back as I look over her shoulder, seeing a few changelings break a crack into the door, Aron runs over and pushes the table into the door even more, bracing the door shut as Hope runs over to assist him.

"N-now g-go Light, GO NOW!" I nod and step into the pod as the clear glass closes around me, watching as Doc punches in some codes through some unknown glowing buttons with unreadable text and blabber.

"Now Light, you might feel a slight tingle, but other then that, you'll be perfectly fine", I nod and he steps back as the power starts to turn on again, steam starts to bellow from the bottom of the pod and the lights slowly start to engulf me.

A changeling breaks through another hole in the door and bites onto Aron's hoof, he yells a little in agony and continues bracing the door shut. "Nooo!!!", I couldn't take it anymore, I pound on the glass with my hoofs as the light slowly envelops me.

"Aron, Hope!" I watch them one last time as the light reaches the peak of the glass.

Aron looks back at me and says something, I couldn't hear him over the whirring noise of the machine, but I could read his lips, "I'll see you around, old friend....", he salutes with his other hoof as the door gives in and the changelings start to storm in.

"Noooo!!!", at the very moment the light fully envelops me in its warmth, and I'm taken away, I fall into a strange prismatic bunch of colors in a tunnel that make me think I'm losing my sanity for sure. I fall endlessly through the narrow tunnel and see a white light at the end, I yell as I fall through and black out...

********************************************************************************************

I awaken slowly to something or somepony pushing against my chest, I open my eyes to see a little filly with a bow in her head in her mane, hopping on my chest with her hoofs.

She smiles and looks back at her flank, and frowns. I realize there are two other ponies over beside her, An orange one holding a towel in her mouth, and a white one carrying a backpack with a Red Cross on it.

"Aaawh well, I guess being a Nurse isn't what our cutie marks are either..", says the one with the bow in her head at the other two.

"Yeah, well, I didn't want to be a nurse anyways, he seems already dead", says the orange one with the purple mane. Obviously, she didn't look at me fast enough to see me open my eyes already.

"I thought being a nurse was gonna be fun... oh well", replies the white one with the purple-pinkish mane.

"Well don't worry Sweetie Bell, We'll find a funner, AND better thing to do!", says the one with the bow at the white one.

"Really Applebloom? Like what?", said the orange one at the one with the bow.

"We won't know until we try Scootaloo!", said Sweetie Bell with a smile at the orange one, heh, cute little fillies.

"Uhm, excuse me, uhm girls?" They look at me, realizing I'm awake. Scootaloo suddenly screams.

"Aah! He's a zompony!", exclaimed Scootaloo as Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom follow suit in the screaming and run off. I sit up confused and call out to them.

"Hey! Uhm, girls?!? Tell me, Where am I!", I look around and realize I'm under a tree. I stand up and look around as I sigh, remembering what happened to Aron and Hope and.... NO, what's done is done, I will NOT let their sacrifices be in vain. I take another quick glance around and walk onto the nearest path.

"Well, I guess I'll find out where I am soon enough..."